Stuffed A n i e m a l Dilemma
by Lady Valmar
Summary: Rodney apologizes to Sheppard, who explains why he has the slippers and then Rodney reveals he has his own sentimental item. Then to Rodney's utter dismay, someone takes it from his room and shows it off in the lab. Sequel to The Fuzzy Slipper Dilemma.


**A/N**: Back by popular demand, here's the sequel to "The Fuzzy Silpper Dilemma". I think I might have to start a _dilemma_ series if this keeps up. All I have to say is Rodney, oh dear Rodney you should be more careful! **This fic has been updated!**

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Title: Stuffed Aniemal Dilemma 

Author: Lady Valmar

Genre: Humor

Beta: None

Rating: T

Archive: SGAHC, FF

Spoilers: None I can think of.

Summary: Rodney apologizes to Sheppard, who explains why he hasthe slippers and then Rodney reveals he has his own sentimental item. Then to Rodney's utter dismay, someone takes it from his room and shows it off in the lab. Sequel to The Fuzzy Slipper Dilemma.

**Warnings:** Be prepared to laugh so much you snort!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis or any of the characters. Grrr…So any other stuff not owned by Stargate Atlantis is mine and therefore please ask and do not infringe nor steal my original themes, concepts, ideas or characters please.**

... **.LV. **...

**Stuffed . A n i e m a l . Dilemma**

By _Lady_ _Valmar

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**Song Inspiration**: Bouncing Off the Walls by Sugarcult

**Quote**: "What comes around goes around" – Unknown

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Sneaking crouched down, he ran across the hall, trying hard not to notice the stares he was getting. Finally with a mental click, his door to his room opened. 

Dropping onto his bed Sheppard pulled his slippers out from under his arm and just stared at them.

Finally safe, and back where they belong…

"WHAT! Wait! Where's the BOW!" yelled Sheppard, after seeing the right slipper missing the little pink bow.

Sheppard dropped the slippers on his bed and began to frantically search the floor for it.

After what had seemed like an hour or two, Sheppard managed to find the bow, it had come off near his doorway. But he had been so upset at losing it, it hadn't occurred to him that he might have lost it outside his room, so he hadn't checked near the doorway.

Eyeing the bow, Sheppard smiled and stroked it gently with his index finger.

The bows were pink, yes but they were special too because they had come from his niece's own hairtie that she always wore. She had told him this after he had put the silly slippers.

He remembered how he had played the game 'I got your nose trick on her', and then asked her why she had done that. Cut up her little hairtie to make little bows for the slippers. She had replied, that she had thought the slippers needed something special and that way she could always be a reminder for him to be good.

At the time, he had just laughed it off as silliness but as he began to think about the slippers and how what she had said had kept him always thinking twice about things he would do, he had soon kept her words almost like a mantra. It was weird because had never listened to his mother when he was that age let alone given out advice, and here he was getting advice from an eight year old and listening.

Sighing with relief Sheppard put his slippers back in the box under his bed, still holding the bow in his hand.

As he turned to sit down on his bed, a timid a voice at his door asked, "ehem, um Sheppard…you…ah…can I come in…?"

Sheppard dusted off his pants and continued to stare at the door until finally he walked over and thinked the door open.

**

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****Before: **_Outside during Sheppard's search_

"Do you think he is okay? He looked pretty mad in the mess hall earlier," asked Rodney, while eyeing the man who had become his shadow.

Turning to face Rodney, "Well, I think you should apologize. It was very rude of you to do that to him, Rodney," explained Radek.

"Yes well I didn't intend to make him feel…_WHERE's THE BOW….RODNEY…IS GOING TO PAY FOR THIS_…okay, maybe your right I should apologize to him…um…in a few hours," said Rodney, shuffling away from the Colonel's doorway.

Reaching for Rodney's collar, Radek tells him," You'd better do it now. This is really important Rodney. I don't think you could disagree on that one…_IF I DON'T FIND THAT BOW_…Look don't you have something sentimental of your own, just think how upset you would be if someone stole it and put in on display for everybody to see."

…THE BOW! HAHAHA THE BOW!

Both men look at each other, "Well, I guess he's in a slightly better mood…I'll just be going now…" said Rodney, trying to make a run for it.

But Radek's grip on Rodney's collar hadn't lessened and only made Rodney look like he was running in place.

"Tif! Okay, just let me breathe a few seconds, sheesh okay," said Rodney, turning back to the Colonel's doorway, a look of dread on his face.

"ehem, um Sheppard…you…ah…can I come in…?" asked Rodney hesitantly.

Glancing around Rodney noticed that his 'Shadow' had suddenly disappeared.

Figures…

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The door slid open to reveal a sweaty faced Sheppard, a pink bow sitting in his hand. 

Rodney breathing in explained, "Uerm…Sheppard…ahh…Look I'm sorry and what I mean to say is…I shouldn't of done what I did…it was neither polite nor considerate or…"

Before he could finish, "Look, bow! Your going to fix this and then your going to explain to me why I shouldn't choke you!" annunciated Sheppard.

Stepping back Rodney exclaimed, "What are you a cave man. Ugh me not going to! I only meant it in good humor."

After receiving a look that could melt ice, Rodney supplied, "Okay maybe bad humor…bad humor…" Then continuing onward , Rodney added, "Look I'm apologizing aren't I and can I come in…?"

"No, you can't come in. I don't think I can trust you to not take any more of my stuff from my room. And why the hell would you enter my room? I don't enter yours!"

His eyes downcast, "I'm sorry okay…I didn't mean it…I just…in humor…and thought it was funny…look I understand…" mumbled Rodney as he prepared to leave.

Sheppard was just formulating a reply, when Rodney rushed in, "I…I…would just like to know why you have fuzzy, bunny slippers with pink bows on them."

Sheppard threw his hands up in the air, and said, "yeah…just come in…" Rodney plopped down on Sheppard's desk chair and looked up. Sheppard groaned, while swiping his nose with the back of his hand.

"Okay, fine. If that will make you leave."

"Yes."

Sheppard stared at Rodney for a few minutes considering why did Rodney care? But after thinking on it he decided might as well explain so Rodney wouldn't pester him further.

"Okay, if you must know I got it from my niece for Christmas, before I went to Afghanistan. She used pieces from her own pink hairtie to make the bows for the slippers..."

"Your niece? I didn't even know."

"Yes well..her mother was sort of my half sister," said Sheppard, sadly as his memories phased back on the fateful day he had learned of their deaths.

Seeing Sheppard wasn't in the mood for wisecracks or banter, Rodney supplied, "I'm sorry. I didn't know, if I had I wouldn't of."

Sheppard put his hand up, "No, it's okay. You didn't do permanent damage I hope," said Sheppard, smiling weakly.

"I don't think I did. I mean it's just slippers with pink bows. It's not like everyone caught you in kitty pajamas or something."

Sheppard grinned but he still felt sad, and seeing as he didn't want to dare think about tearing up even a little around Rodney, Sheppard paced.

"So I'm guessing that this little niece of yours is just as rakish as you are huh?"

Sheppard smirked, but kept pacing. Then slumped down on the end of his bed, keeping his eyes level with the door.

"She uh...was a rascal."

"Was a rascal?"

Rodney didn't like the sound of that. Sheppard was using past tense. Indicating what, something bad had happened? Rodney gulped slightly as he waited for a reply. He knew nothing good could from the sad look he was getting.

"Yes...she and her parents were killed in a car accident."

Rodney's mouth dropped open, now he truly felt bad for the slipper bashing. "Look, I'm truly sorry to hear that. Did you..."

"I found out when I came back from Afghanistan. I'm over it," said Sheppard then added, "mostly."

Rodney, sunk lower in his hunch, kicking himself mentally for being as stupid as to do something like this to Sheppard. He knew he had to do something to cheer Sheppard up, after all losing someone that close was never easy thing and one never truly forgot the pain, only became numbed form it.

So mustering courage he thought up something to say and blurted out, "I…too have something sentimental, you know…" Rodney felt his face flush as he realized what he had said. Oh no! Sheppard cocked his eyebrow at Rodney, reminding Rodney so much of Teal'c. Sheppard just stared, waiting.

"Well? What?"

"Uh...nothing."

Why is it every time I think I've got a handle on this man, he does something unexpected? Maybe that's it I should expect the unexpected? But what is the unexpected? And how should I know… thought Sheppard as faced Rodney, who was eyeing the box.

"Okay fine don't tell me. But this sentimental thing…does it have anything to do with a hockey puck…cause if so…I wouldn't mind making you eat the darn thing!"

Rodney shuddered and cast a dirty frown at Sheppard, "No! It does not…look just cause your sore doesn't mean you should take it out on others. And I'll have you know it's not a hockey puck. It's a…"

Sheppard's laughing drowned the tail end of Rodney's reply out. He was almost to the point of snorting.

"Look, I don't see what's so funny. I mean you got fuzzy, bunny slippers with pink bows on them. So look who's talking…" griped Rodney, then adding, "Okay or in this case laughing..." as Sheppard continued to laugh hysterically.

In between his gasps of breath Sheppard exclaimed, "You…own…a…stuffed animal!"

"Yes, I own one…I don't see what the big deal is," grouched Rodney, leaning back in Sheppard's desk chair.

"But the fact that you actually have a dinosaur stuffed animal. I just don't see it," snorted Sheppard, as he eyed Rodney.

"Yes well, hm we can't all be…..be…."

"Yes?"

"I'm thinking…be…be as fuzzy slippered as you!"

"Fuzzy slippered? McKay you've lost it. That's it you've lost it. Should I go call Dr. Heightmeyer?" said Sheppard as he rocked back on his heels.

With as much indignity he could muster, Rodney retorted, "You know, maybe you should see her your self, after all, we all can't have little pink bows falling off our fuzzy bunny slippers now can we?"

Rodney regretted that comment as he shuddered from Sheppard's glare who's eyes were slit like.

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**Meanwhile back in the Lab:**

"I heard Dr. McKay chatting about his stuffed animal so I overrode his door lock and found it. Isn't it cute!" laughed Radek, while showing off a _purple,_stuffed dinosaur.

"Ow! And he was going on about Sheppard having Fuzzy Bunny Slippers!" squealed one of Radek's assistants.

Laughter erupted from all the scientists gathered around Radek, as he made the dinosaur talk.

"I'm not crazy I just have another consciousness in my brain," mocked Radek, in a squeaky voice.

A tech threw in, "I'm sure I do!"

More laughter followed.

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"No Sheppard I told you, I'm not going to tell you why I have a stuffed dinosaur," 

"Why not?"

"Doctor McKay?" asked a voice through Rodney's comm.

"Yes, McKay here."

"Dr. Zelenka is showing off something I think you had better come and see," giggled the response through his com.

Annoyed at the voice, Rodney replied, "Can it wait?"

The voice squeaked, "But don't you want your anielmal back?" as the com went silent. The panicked look on Rodney's face nearly made Sheppard bust out laughing again.

"I'll be right back," said Rodney, as he rushed out of Sheppard's quarters.

Hm…I wonder what that was about, anielmal…wait! Thought Sheppard, as a smile peaked at his mouth.

Running after Rodney, Sheppard stuffed the bow into his pant's pocket. No use in getting seen withit.

After a few turns, a transport and pushing through the crowd surrounding Zelenka, Sheppard saw a red faced Rodney, struggling to rip the dinosaur out of Zelenka's arms.

What was even more astounding was that the dinosaur was purple and it had a Band-Aid stuck to one of its paws.

Sheppard just couldn't help himself and shouted, "Hey Rodney, you didn't tell me it was purple!"

Rodney stopped a moment to turn and give Sheppard his own icy stare, then returned to taking the dinosaur out of Radek's hands.

Straightening and with as much dignity as he muster Rodney replied, "Yes well, fuzzy bunny slipper, pink bow flyboy, we all have our sentimentals don't we?"

And with that, he put the dinosaur under one arm and stalked out of the lab. Radek and everyone in the lab, laughed at him as the tail of the dinosaur swished behind his arm.

Shouting after the retreating frame of Rodney, "Yes well just desserts deserves just rewards, Rodney," said Sheppard in-between bouts of laughter.

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**A/N**: Poor Rodney…maybe he will get even with Radek…what do you think…should he? In case your wondering, I actually use to own a dinosaur, though it wasn't purple, it was blue. New Update: I edited this piece because personally, though humor was good, I felt there should have been more discussion on the slippers and Rodney's reaction to the real reason Sheppard had them. I hope you like this better then the first version. 


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